"A rambling Zanzibar townhouse, well-run and full of character, with restaurant, The Towerhouse, enjoying spectacular views."
Emerson�s and Green was home to possibly �the richest man in the Swahili Empire� during the 1870s. At this time, part of the present building was the residence of Sir Tharia Topan, head of Customs and financial advisor to the Sultan. It was originally the administrative building for the customs offices, and then during the 1880s and 90s it was used by the British to pay for the release of slaves - �Hurumzi� means �free men� in Swahili.
Contrived as a haven of opulent style and panache in the centre of the old town, Emerson�s and Green is a small hotel that achieves its helplessly chic aim of not feeling like a hotel at all. Recent extension and development means that there are now ten rooms to choose from rather than the original seven, but choosing is not easy as each is designed with individual character and charm. New additions include the enormous Ball Room, with two vast double beds and said to be the largest hotel room in Zanzibar, the Lavender room and the Gallery. The old favourites are named after points of the compass; South is accessible over high wooden bridge, and provides a semi open air bathroom with views over Stone Town, separated from bedroom by small private veranda.
West also has good views, and a kidney shaped bath for romantic soaks, while in East a lattice work wall provides an atmospheric dappled light and catches the breeze. All rooms have a memorably romantic bath and a sense of bohemian antique grandeur completed with ornate ceiling fans and linen scented with cloves, but all guests should be aware that these open rooms that are so elegant during waking hours are also hellishly noisy during the Zanzibari night.
All rooms are prone to enjoy the languishing choirs of cats, cockerels and children through the early hours around midnight and then the distinct awakening of the Hindu and then the Muslim faithful at their own prayer times. The months from late November to March are usually very hot and humid, and you feel it here at the heart of the old town. The rooftop restaurant provides wide and airy views of the town and harbour, and excellent many course meals in an ethnic style. Guests gather cross-legged on cushions and tiny portions of a pre-arranged menu are brought one after another. The popularity of the restaurant and space constrictions on this cosy rooftop make it necessary to book at least on the day that you wish to dine, and it is worth arriving early to enjoy the cocktail selection as the sun goes down.
The Hotel Writes
An integral part of the skyline of Zanzibar, along with mosque minarets, Hindu temple towers, and church spires, is the Tower Top restaurant of 236 Hurumzi. The second tallest building in Stone Town Zanzibar, the hotel has been restored to its former glory when it was the residence of one of the richest men in the Swahili Empire. Atmosphere is of principal import as the furnishings are all original Zanzibari antiques of varied origins and styles that, together, create the impressions of Arabian Nights and sultan princesses escaping in the dead of the night for romance.
